X-ray equipment



P 29, 1942- L. E. VWEYENBERG ,297,042

X-RAY EQUIPMENT Filed Aug. 2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Ala/v54 E.WEYE/VBEEG- AZZMXM ATTORNI.

Patented Sept. 29, 1942 X-RAY EQUIPMENT Lionel E. Weyenberg, Milwaukee,Wis., assignor to X-Ray Shoe Fitter, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., acorporation of Wisconsin Application August 2, 1940, Serial No. 349,691

10 Claims. (Cl. 250-53) This invention relates to ray equipment.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide novel, improved andsimplified means for the mechanical and electrical disposition of X- rayequipment in a cabinet such, for example, as the cabinet of a machineused for the fitting of shoes by X-ray. I propose to eliminate theexpense incident to the separate disposition of each individual part inthe cabinet by providing an assembly of the X-ray tube, the transformerand the tube supports which can be unitarily inserted in the cabinet in.conjunction with aoperating housing for the tube in which the tube isreadily accessible and which nevertheless provides protection for theoperator and the user.

The objects will be more apparent from study of the following disclosureof the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section of a foot Xray machine embodyingthe invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail view partially in front elevation andpartially in section on an enla ged scale, showing the housing and theX-ray tube therein.

Fig. 3 is a detail view partially in plan and partially in horizontalsection, showing the organization of the X-ray tube and its housing, itsmount, and its transformer casing.

Fig. 4 is a detail view taken in section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughoutthe several views.

The cabinet comprises a base section 5 having a platform at 5 and aviewing chamber at l, the viewing chamber having a recessed bottomportion 8 in the plane of the platform 8 and constituting an extensionthereof into which the wearers foot may be introduced for inspection.Above the recessed portion of the viewing chamher is a fluorescentscreen 9 and the top of the chamber provides eye pieces Ill and H bymeans of which the image fluorescent on the screen 9 may be viewed.

At the rear the cabinet provides a control chamber it within which ismounted the thermostatic time controlling relay set i6 as described inmy companion application of even date which is entitled Thermostaticallycontrolled timing relay circuits. On the inclined top wall ii of thecontrol chamber are mounted switches is and instruments, etc. A singleconduit l9 leads downwardly from the junction box 23 to the entire X-rayimage which form the improvements in X- particular subject matter of thepresent applica- In accordance with the present invention the X-ray tubeis supported from the transformer case and a separate housing enclosesthe mount ed tube. The transformer case 22 contains a suitabletransformer at 23 and supports a rheostat 24 which may be set inaccordance with the line voltage to supply the correct current to thetransformer. On the top of the transformer case 22 is a junction box 25in which the electrical connections are made between the controls, thetransformer, and the rheostat.

The front wall of transformer case 22 comprises a panel 26 in which arefixed to project forwardly a pair of laterally spaced dielectric tubes21 and 28 having corresponding notches at 29 and 3i] near their outerends. These notches are just sufliciently large to receive the ends ofthe X-ray tube 3!, leaving the filament terminals 32 and 33 and the hightension terminal 34 exposed beyond the supporting tubes 21 and 28. Theleads to the filament terminals are carried from the transformer 25through the tubular mounting supports 21 and 28 and are brought outthrough suitable openings in the side walls of the mounting supports asshown in Fig. 3. The filament leads include a connnection to a rheostat35.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the X-ray tube, itssupporting mounts, and the electrical connections thereto, are allunitarily assembled with the transformer and the transformer case, thuspermitting unitary handling and complete pre-wiring so far asthisportion of the apparatus is concerned.

Immediately ahead of the transformer case in the lower section 5 of thecabinet is the metal tube housing 31 which protects the tube andconfines its discharge. A large openin at 38 in the rear wall of thehousing 31 receives the mounting supports 21 and 28 for the X-ray tubeand, if desired, may be large enough to receive the tube itself, mountedon such supports. Because the housing 31 and.the transformer case 22 aremutually complementary and are placed in abutment, there is no accuratefitting necessary and the opening 38 may beas large as desired to permitthe convenient manipulation of the parts into their desiredrelationship.

An opening at 39 in the top wall of housing 31 directs and confines thedischarge from the- X-ray tube. There is a door opening at 40 in thefront wall closed by a hinged door 4| which, when closed, seats againsta switch 42 connected in series with the conductors which supply currentto the transformer 25, the arrangement being such that said switch 42 isbiased to open itself whenever door 4| is opened, thereby cutting oficurrent and de-energizing the transformer and tube as a safety measure.

It will be apparent that by reason of the organization of the tubehousing 31 and the transformer case and tube mounts, the assembly of theX-ray equipment in the cabinet for the purposes described, is greatlysimplified.

I claim:

1. X-ray equipment comprising the combination with a transformer, oftubular bracket means projecting laterally from the transformer, each ofthe tubular bracket means having a transverse notch in its upperperipheral portion, an X-ray tube resting in the notches of the tubularbracket means, and electrical connections extending in part through thetubular bracket means between the tube and the transformer.

2. X-ray equipment comprising the combination with a cabinet providedwith a viewing chamber and a fluorescent screen, of a housing below theviewing chamber having an aperture for directing rays toward saidscreen, an X-ray tube in the housing, an adjacent transformer casepositioned laterally of the housing and provided with bracket meansprojecting into the housing, said housing being apertured to receive thebracket means and said case abutting the housing to close the aperturetherein, a transformer in said case, and electrical connections from thetransformer to the tube, said tube being mounted on said bracket means.

3. A device of the character described comprising the combination withan X-ray transformer and tube, of a case for the transformer, tubemounts carried by the transformer case and upon which said tube ismounted externally of the transformer case, said transformer case, tubeand tube mounts being adapted to be handled as a unit, and a rayconfining housing for the tube having a back aperture normally closed bysaid transformer case, said case and housing having generally parallelwall portions in one of which said housing back aperture is located andthrough which aperture the tube mounts and tube are movable with thetube carried in said mounts, said case and housing being freelyseparable without disturbing the aforesaid unit, and said tube andmounts being wholly exposed upon the removal of said housing from itsposition contiguous to said case.

4. X-ray equipment comprising the combination with a cabinet providedwith a supporting platform and a viewing chamber above the platform andhaving an X-ray compartment below the platform, of a ray confininghousing immedi. ately below the platform having an opening directedupwardly toward the under surface of the platform and having anotheropening at its rear through which a mounted X-ray tube is freelyreceivable, and a transformer and transformer case in unitary assemblyand provided unitarily with a pair of spaced arms projecting forwardlyand adapted to receive an X-ray tube and at least partially to enclosethe wiring therefor, whereby the transformer, transformer case,mounting, arms and tube constitute a unit completely wired foroperation, said housing opening being adapted to receive the arms andtube of said unit and being freely disengageable from said case for thecomplete exposure of said arms and unit, the length of said arms beingsuch as to position the tube centrally in said housing beneath saidplatform when said case is disposed behind said housing at the rear ofsaid platform.

5. A device of the character described comprising the combination with acabinet provided in its bottom with an X-ray compartment and havingabove said compartment a platform and a viewing chamber, said cabinethaving a door in front of said platform affording access to saidcompartment, of a transformer case at the rear of said compartmenthaving a transformer therein and provided with supporting armsprojecting forwardly toward said door to a position centrally beneathsaid platform, an X-ray tube mounted in said arms and constituting aunit with said case and transformer, and a housing adapted to confinethe rays from said tube and having a rear opening abutting said case andclosed thereby through which said opening, said tube and arms are freelyreceivable, whereby said housing is freely applicable to and removablefrom said case, the removal of said housing being adapted completely toexpose said tube and arms, and said housing having a forward dooraccessible through the door of said compartment for 'afiording limitedaccess to said tube.

6. The device of claim 5 in which the said housing is provided with adoor actuated transformer switch having door actuated means for theclosing of said switch only when said door is closed.

'7. X-ray equipment, comprising the combination with a cabinet providedwith a viewing chamber and a fluorescent screen, of a housing generallyL-shaped in cross section disposed below and laterally of the viewingchamber provided with an aperture for directing light rays toward saidscreen, a door at the front of the housing, an enclosed transformermounted within said housing and provided with tube supporting bracketsextending toward the housing door, an X-ray tube mounted on thebrackets, and an X-ray shield enclosing the tube and detachably engagingthe transformer, said shield opening toward the screen and having a wallhinged to open toward the housing door to permit installation andremoval of the tube therethrough.

8. The device as set forth in claim 7, wherein said cabinet includes acontrol chamber above the rear portion of said L-shaped housing andadjacent the viewing chamber.

9. X-ray equipment comprising the combination with a transformer and atransformer case, [of a pair of tubular arms mounted on the transformercase and projecting forwardly therefrom, said arms being provided atpoints spaced from their free ends with upwardly opening notches, anX-ray tube having a central bulbous portion and reduced terminalportions mounted on said arms with said reduced terminal portionspositioned within the notches of said tubular arms, wiring extendingfrom the transformer and along the arms and operatively connected withsaid X-ray tube, said transformer, transformer case,

above said tube and being provided in its front wall with a dooropposite said rear wall opening through which said tube is accessiblewithout separating said housing and said case.

10. An X-ray shoe fitting device including a cabinet comprising a basehaving a platform and a control chamber, a viewing chamber extendingover said platform and upwardly beside said control chamber and providedwith a fluorescent screen spaced above the platform, a transformer andtransformer case permanently mounted in the base beneath the controlchamber, mounting arms projecting from said transformer case beneath theplatform, an X-ray tube mounted on said arms and wired unitarily to thetransformer,

a shielding housing having an X-ray opening upwardly directed to deliverrays from said tube through said platform, said housing having a rearwall generally paralleling the side of said transformer case andprovided with an opening normally closed by said case and of suflicientsize to pass said arms and tube, said housing having a door throughwhich said tube is accessible, and said cabinet being provided with adoor through which the housing door and said tube are accessible andthrough which said housing may be withdrawn from said case leaving theunitarily assembled tube and wiring fully exposed within the cabinet.

LIONEL E. WEYENBERG.

